At one point, I had everything on my chart.
EMAs, MACD, RSI, volume, fibs, support zones, resistance zones.
It felt smart… until it wasn’t.
Too much info just blurred everything.
Now? My charts are almost empty.
Price, levels, maybe a VWAP. That’s it.
Here’s why I stripped it all down — and why I keep it that way.
1. More Lines, More Confusion
I used to think confluence meant confidence.
But really, I was just stacking tools until something said “buy.”
It wasn’t analysis. It was just noise.
When I cleared things out, I saw price more clearly.
And the decisions got easier — not because I was smarter, but because I could finally see.
2. Price First, Always
Everything starts with price now.
- Where is it coming from?
- Where is it heading?
- Who’s likely stuck?
That’s it. I start with a blank chart and build from there.
If something stands out, I’ll bring in VWAP or ADR to double-check.
But only after I’ve made a first read.
3. Indicators Come After the Idea
I don’t let tools drive the trade. They’re just there to confirm what I already see.
So I’ll draw levels, map context — then maybe turn on VWAP, session ranges, or my ADR script.
No fixed rules. Just a simple process that starts with my eyes.
All of this lives in my TradingView template. Clean and quick to load.
4. Visual Calm = Mental Calm
I keep my charts dark. Grey lines, white candles, soft blue zones.
No red-green circus.
If my charts are too loud, I make worse decisions.
So now they’re quiet. On purpose.
5. Clean Charts = Fewer Dumb Trades
This surprised me.
Once I removed all the clutter, I stopped overtrading.
Fewer setups meant fewer forced trades.
It made me wait longer. Be more patient.
Not because I was trying to be disciplined – just because nothing was there to chase.
Clean charts helped build that habit.
Final Thoughts
I don’t think clean charts make you profitable.
But I do think they help you see better and that’s a big deal.
If I need five indicators to believe in a trade, I probably don’t trust the setup.
So now I trade what I can see. And I keep it simple on purpose.
That’s why I use TradingView.
Not because it’s fancy, but because it helps me keep things clean.
—
Gav
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